


Things Have Changed For Me (And That's Okay)

by 1Temmie_Official1



Series: Northern Downpour Sends Its Love [8]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aromantic, Aromantic Jet (Avatar), Bisexual Jet (Avatar), Bisexual Zuko (Avatar), Blue Spirit Zuko (Avatar), Freedom Fighters, Gen, Hostage Situations, Jet (Avatar) Lives, Jet (Avatar) Redemption, Jet (Avatar)-centric, Making Out, Minor Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Nonbinary Mai (Avatar), Trans Smellerbee (Avatar), Trans Zuko (Avatar), Ty Lee (Avatar) has ADHD, Vigilantism, War Crimes, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, also mentioned - Freeform, like they’re mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:35:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27685670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1Temmie_Official1/pseuds/1Temmie_Official1
Summary: Jet had just turned 16 when he met Fire Lord Iroh.And Fire Lord Iroh's nephew, Prince Zuko.
Relationships: Jet & Longshot & Smellerbee & Zuko, Jet & Longshot (Avatar), Jet & Smellerbee (Avatar), Jet & Ty Lee (Avatar), Jet & Zuko (Avatar), Jet/Zuko (Avatar), Mai & Ty Lee & Zuko
Series: Northern Downpour Sends Its Love [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1957609
Comments: 9
Kudos: 64





	Things Have Changed For Me (And That's Okay)

Jet was only eight years old when he saw his village burn down.

He had been out in the forest. He wasn't there to see them _burn_. He had been getting flowers. His mother loves- loved flowers. His father was allergic but he let Jet bring them in every 7th day. To this day he wasn't able to look at dandelions without being reminded.

He had dropped them when he smelled the smoke. Jet had to run, it couldn't be them, it _shouldn't have been them_ -

Jet had only been able to the fires growing higher and impossibly higher. The sight could never be washed out of his mind. The fire. Burning, washing him in heat and light. The smoke was suffocating. His village was _gone_. The children next door, the house he had grown up in, his _parents_ , gone. Because of those soldiers, because of the war-

Because of the Fire Nation.

That was the day Jet swore revenge. For the childhood he lost. For the life his parents had left, the life _he_ had left. He could never forgive them because they would never apologize. They could never be forgiven for taking his family away.

-

Jet had found other kids like him. Some of them were so small, so small to be burdened with the knowledge of what the Fire Nation had done. He was the oldest of them. He had to take care of them, he couldn't let them suffer as he did. He couldn't bear to hear his old name. None of them could, it was one of the smaller things that tied them together. It was too painful to hear the names their parents called them. So Jet became Jet. Smellerbee became Smellerbee. Longshot took longer, Longshot wasn't able to speak after the Fire Nation did. That was okay, they invented their own language of silent looks. But Longshot became Longshot just the same. Some of them were... so, _so_ young. Jet did a headcount of his band of children. Smellerbee was only 5. Longshot looked to be almost 6. Sneers was barely older than 6. Pipsqueak was big for his age but even he was only 7. 

So Jet had to protect them. They all learned quickly that the ground was filled with animals and soldiers, so it was Smellerbee who had the idea to live in the trees. Sneers became good at bird calls, so that was their system of communication. Their hideouts in the trees were stocked decently.

It was Jet who had the idea to first raid the Fire Nation.

It failed, but they got food out of it. No one died. That was when it started. The hunger for it, Jet knew the Fire Nation was guilty, so this was only payback. It was like the first taste of nourishment after starving for days. It was addicting. They got enough money to finally buy food, definitely enough to pay for clothes. After Smellerbee informed them of her gender, they all made a point to get proper stuff for her. They could _technically_ get jobs but it was still easier to steal from the Fire Nation. So that way how they had operated. Occasionally raiding Fire nation soldiers, less than one time a month. Jet was operating his freedom fighters well. Two years of it spoke for themselves. He still honoured his parents. A vase of dandelions in his room changed every 7th day. So he would never forget what the Fire Nation had done. All of the others had their own ways as well. Not speaking, a day where they don't spend time with the group, doing the opposite and throwing themselves into the activities of the day, a day with no birdsong. Their own funerals for lives lost to the flame.

Jet was ten years old when the war ended.

Soldiers, all of them were gone. Camps packed up and left. The new Fire Lord had ended the war. It was over. Jet couldn't wrap his head around the concept. It was _over_. The only Fire Nation people were the ones in the villages, sometimes ones there to reform the schooling system. 

Jet felt empty. He should have been overjoyed. But the anger inside of him hadn't ceased. 

"Jet." Smellerbee put a hand on his shoulder. He put his head down. The view of the forest floor seemed different. It would no longer be occupied by ashmakers. "It's over."

The tears in his eyes were too much. If it had been two years earlier. Only two years. Two fucking years and he could have still had a family, birthday parties and fishing trips, comfort and help. They didn't all have to be orphans in a glorified treehouse. He was crying. He shouldn't have done it in front of Smellerbee, he was the only parent she had really had, it would make her concerned.

Smellerbee sat down beside him. Jet buried his face in his hands as if that would stop the sobs that escaped him. "I know. It's..." Her voice wavered. Jet pulled her into his arms. She shook with her sobs, both of them did. "I... they _died_ , and now its over. It should have been over. Forever."

"I know, I know." Jet comforted. Oh, how time had passed. It seemed like yesterday that Jet was teaching them how to read and write. Now, the war wasn't over. Not by a battle, but from someone standing up to the past.

Maybe not all of the Fire Nation was bad.

But.

Jet remembered the vase of dandelions in his room. He remembered his mother's smile. He remembered his father's jokes, he remembered the laughter the smiles the joy the _everything he lost_ -

"We'll get back at them. The ones who hurt others." He promised.

"I don't want to fight anymore." Whispered Smellerbee, sounding oh so young. Jet realized that he was young too. He wanted to fight, for himself and his parents. His family. But his family was right here. In his arms, in his 'glorified treehouse', in this forest. It was his home. He thought he lost his home but... maybe he did have a home.

"I know." The weight of the words was beyond their surface. Smellerbee... Longshot, Pipsqueak, Sneers, they were all worth more than his revenge. It burned, but if push came to shove, he would put them above everything.

Smellerbee took a breath. "Jet, I don't want to fight just anyone. I can't do that anymore."

Jet nodded. "I promise you won't. If I do you can... punch me." Smellerbee smiled a little, wiping her eyes.

"You bet I will."

-

Jet was twelve when they adopted The Duke. The kid was a meagre age of four years old, and they had found him breaking into their food stock. The Duke had never had anyone. That realization had hit Jet stronger than he thought it would. Jet was the closest thing to a parent that this little four-year-old would ever have. He was so small. Smellerbee was 5 when he found her. Four years old. The Duke was abandoned, the war had only ended two years ago, The Duke was a war-orphan like the rest of them. But he was so small, curled under a blanket that they had given him.

Jet swore that the Duke would never be alone again.

Smellerbee acted as a big-sister-mother-figure while the rest of the fighters took on teaching roles. They all took the Duke into their family like ducks to water, it was like the Duke had always been with them, a part of the family. Jet was somehow a single parent but also a friend to all of the Freedom Fighters. He was so close in age to them, but some days Jet felt like a long-suffering mother-duck-pheasant, caring for her rowdy brood. Other days, he felt like what a teenager should have been, doing crazy things without supervision.

Though they didn't do much fighting anymore. Jet still itched for action. He knew there were bad people still out there. He knew there was still damage, that he was good enough to fight them.

He got his taste of the action from a town called Canton. It was an area that hadn't quite been occupied by Fire Nation forces, but all areas had their fair share of damage. What had caught Jet's attention was what the Fire Nation _was_ doing, though. News of an ex-lieutenant (the Fire Nation military had been largely decommissioned), something that Jet really didn't want. Especially after two years of peace. The ex-lieutenant was planning an attack on Canton.

Jet would finally get to fight. _Be careful what you wish for,_ Jet lamented. _You just might get it._

Longshot tapped Jet. _Do you want to fight?_ He implied.

Jet huffed. "Yeah-"

_Are you doing it because it's for the greater good or because you want to hurt people?_

Jet paused. If you had asked Jet when he was ten he would have known it was the latter. But now, now that he realized he wasn't going to destroy his family for his own gain, now he knew. "I'm not fighting to hurt. I'm fighting to defend."

Longshot's lips quirked in a smile. _Then I'll fight alongside you._

Jet grinned. "Let's ready the battalion."

-

They won.

They _won_.

Yes there were bruises, yes there was a cut or two, but they were victorious. Lieutenant-guy had escaped, fires too hot and wild for anyone to follow. They had one firebender who they managed to capture.

Surprisingly, he didn't work for the Fire Lord.

He worked for the ex-Fire Lord. Fire Lord Ozai was alive.

Fire Lord Ozai was alive.

And if Jet had any say about it, he would be the one to end him.

-

Defending instead of attacking was a change. People, for once, were treating them like heroes instead of outcasts. Were they still Freedom Fighters? Maybe. But it was quickly becoming equally common to hear them called Freedom Defenders. Defenders. Jet could grow used to that.

The Fire Nation rebels were ruthless, constantly attacking. But the Freedom Fighters found a home wherever they went. 

-

Jet had just turned 16 when he met Fire Lord Iroh. And Fire Lord Iroh's nephew, Prince Zuko. It had been sudden. They were in their tree hideout when they spotted five people, 3 teens about his age and one adult. They didn't appear to be too armed, but you never knew. Jet and Smellerbee swung down. It was almost instant recognition, it wasn't every day you saw a noble with fancy robes travelling with a kid with a huge scar on his face. Holy motherfucking _shit_. This was the fucking Fire Lord.

"Ah! You must be the famous Freedom Fighters!" The Fire Lord- again, what the actual _fuck_ \- greeted.

Wait, what? Jet had never been so confused and shocked. First, and yes, Jet still wasn't past this, the fucking _Fire Lord_ was here, second, he knew who the Freedom Fighters were?

Prince Zuko was a few months younger than him, not yet 16 years old but... he was aesthetically pleasing. He hadn't remembered too much of his parent's 'grown-up lessons', but he did remember that when he got to about this age he would experience romantic attraction. Well, Jet wasn't completely opposed to making out with him so that was okay, and the Fire Lord’s smile didn’t seem fake.

So Jet let them stay.

The Fire Lord, Prince Zuko, and their two companions, who introduced themselves as Ty Lee and Mei, joined the Freedom Fighters for dinner. That was never a scene that Jet thought he would experience. How the fuck did this happen. Jet... Jet had complicated feelings about the Fire Nation. On one hand, he hated them with a passion for killing his family and so many others but it was juxtaposed with how Fire Lord Iroh ended the war. Completely, and not in a half-assed way either. Actually fixing the propaganda that the Fire Nation had been fed, reparations for villages and towns, actually giving back land. Firing- pun not intended- all the old coots who still advocated for the war. Jet had always known that it would take more than an apology note to fix the Fire Nation and the world, and this Iroh guy seemed to be doing it. He even was travelling around the world to physically work out things with the people he had harmed.

So you could see the dilemma Jet was in, caught between a rock and a hard place.

So Jet would have to judge his character. Fire Lord Iroh accepted the food offered. Complimented the chef. Interesting. Prince Zuko didn't say anything, but it seemed that was just how he was. It was going well, no incidents. Until...

The Duke spilled soup onto The Fire Lord's robes.

Silence.

Jet tensed, subtly reaching back for his hook swords. 

What happened surprised all of them. Fire Lord Iroh laughed. It seemed genuine enough. "Don't worry about it, The Duke, let me tell you a secret." He leaned close to The Duke. Jet gripped his swords. "I don't like my robes that much anyway. They're itchy," he stage-whispered, scratching at his robes and making The Duke laugh. Jet finally relaxed. This Fire Lord was at least a person. Jet wouldn't hesitate to end him, though.

The evening continued. One of the people, Ty Lee, talked quite a bit, The Duke was entertained by her energy. Mei was almost as quiet as Prince Zuko, nothing Jet could discern from her. The Fire Lord requested stories of their endeavours and seemed to be truthfully entertained by them. So far nothing bad was happening to make Jet hate him. Maybe he was okay.

"So, Smellerbee, that's an unusual name for a young man." The Fire Lord said conversationally. Spoke too soon. Smellerbee frowned, and Jet immediately grew angry.

"That's because I'm not a man, I'm a girl!" Smellerbee spat and stormed away. (Smellerbee had told them about how she hated being misgendered, and all of them tried their hardest to keep from doing that. Jet wouldn't pretend to understand completely how Smellerbee felt, but he knew that he would support her, and if that meant fighting people, so be it. Jet was always down to fight.)

For his credit, he did try to correct it. "Oh! Now I see, it's a beautiful name for a lovely girl!" The Fire Lord corrected as Smellerbee stomped away. Jet frowned at the Fire Lord.

Longshot quickly stopped her from being too angry. Jet would not hesitate to kick the Fire Lord out for misgendering Smellerbee.

Smellerbee and Longshot sat down again. Another surprise, Prince Zuko spoke up. "Uncle didn't mean it, he doesn't misgender people on purpose, he hasn't messed up on my pronouns once." Oh. Jet felt like an asshole (only a bit), but at least he knew now that Fire Lord Iroh wouldn't be rude to Smellerbee for rejecting her birth gender.

Smellerbee blinked. "You're... you're the Fire Nation's Prince and you're like me?" Jet still stayed silent, getting the sense that Smellerbee was awestruck at someone of such high status who was like her.

Prince Zuko looked even more awkward than before. "Well, I mean kind of. I was born a girl, though." Prine Zuko glanced at Mei as if for permission. Was Mei like that too?

Mei shrugged. "I mean, I was born as a girl, but I'm not a girl or a boy. I use 'she' and 'her' or 'they' and 'them', by the way." Smellerbee gaped at Mei as if they just admitted they hung the stars.

"Woah." Smellerbee marvelled, all previous anger forgotten.

Jet snorted. Soon, laughter filled the forest. Jet stared at Zuko's face, his face was a very nice-looking face. Very nice, much face. All of him was objectively nice-looking. The way that the light from the campfire highlighted his cheekbones and scar, the smile that crinkled his good eye. The way he didn't really know what to do with his hands so they were gripped around the bowl he held. The way his hair framed his face (if Jet was being honest here, it was a pretty bad haircut. It looked like he was trying to grow it out but since almost all of it was pulled back into a topknot, a lot of the shorter bits fell out, quite a bit of the part near his neck wasn't even in the topknot and Jet _knew_ that it was because it wasn't long enough but Jet also knew that in the Earth Kingdom there were pins that could secure the hair up- okay he was going on way too much about his hair). And maybe if Jet stared enough, he'd convince himself that the admiration that swelled in his chest was attraction.

-

Apparently, the Fire Lord and his posse were to stay in this area for a month. Correction, only Mei, Ty Lee, and Prince Zuko were to stay in this area for a month, Fire Lord Iroh was busy working things out with the government systems in towns and other business stuff Jet wouldn't pretend to understand.

Okay, Plan Ask Zuko Out Because He's Attractive And Why Not, shortened down to Plan AZO, is a go. Step one: flirt.

One problem with this: Jet had no idea how to flirt. He was basically raised in an environment where he only interacted with his friend group/family. Any thought of romance was unthinkable between the Freedom Fighters, at least for Jet. Jet only thought of them as his kids or close friends, never as romantic targets. However, he had once nabbed a book of something called "pick-up lines". Apparently, they worked to "charm" your "crush". For research, Jet spent the night in town to learn about romance. He was lucky that one of the townspeople owed him a favour.

"So." Jet leaned against a tree that supported the hideout, one arm planted on the bark while his opposite hand was on his hip. This was so awkward. "Comrade." He hinted, waggling his eyebrows playfully and smirking. _C'mon you dumb prince._ Jet thought desperately, keeping his cool-guy persona on his expression. _You **have** to know what this means._

Prince Zuko raised an eyebrow (well he only had one so-). "Is that something you Freedom Fighters use that I'm too 'noble' to understand? I get it, I'm part of a nation you hate. You don't have to rub it in." Well. That didn't work out very well.

Attempt two. Jet relaxed off the tree "C'mon, let me show you around. We can go to town, heard that some swampbenders were visiting." Jet didn't even know what the full significance with swampbenders was, only that it was a male-attracted-male term. This one was obvious. _You can do it, buddy. I believe in you._

Prince Zuko's skull must have been thicker than the floor he had been dropped on as a child because he threw up his hands in frustration and practiced his best talent: yelling. "I don't get it! What do you mean?!" Jet was so irked he felt that Agni himself was punishing him. Do you know how much you need to be annoyed to feel like another religion's god is punishing you? Jet couldn't believe this was the guy he chose to have a crush on.

Jet's attempt three was interrupted by a slap, thankfully not to him. Mei had slapped the back of Prince Zuko's head, just enough to get him to pay attention to them. "He's asking you out, idiot." Jet had never been more thankful for women, and he had only the utmost respect for them before.

Jet nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, wasn't it obvious?"

Prince Zuko frowned, but he was blushing. "Yeah, but you were going on about 'comrades' and 'swampbenders'! How was I supposed to know that you were asking me out, much less that you liked me!"

Mei sighed in exasperation. "You're an idiot to see that he didn't like you, he basically goo-goo eyes you every dinner." It was Jet's turn to flush in the embarrassment of being caught staring at his 'crush'.

Prince Zuko whipped his head to face Jet as if to confirm if it was true. Jet shrugged. "Yeah."

"Even with my-"

A pink flash tumbled down from a higher branch, cutting off the Fire Prince's reply. "Hi! I heard your conversation, is this a good time to talk about how _I_ have a crush on _you_?" Ty Lee said this addressing Mei. Immediately, Mei froze, a clear blush on their face.

Prince Zuko barked a laugh. "Who's the idiot now?"

Ty Lee tilted her head. "So is that a yes to the date I'm asking you on?"

Mei looked dumbstruck. "Absolutely," they said in a daze.

Jet's hysterical laughter echoed through the forest.

-

"I just noticed something." Ty Lee said.

Smellerbee glanced up. "Yeah?"

Ty Lee swung down from the branch she was sitting on. (This reminded Jet, he should ask if she could join the group for one of their weekly sparring sessions.) "So all of you have at least one sharp object as a weapon." Ty Lee paused. "Except for The Duke."

Jet didn't even have to explain. "The Duke is not allowed to use sharp things, blunt force only," Smellerbee stated with no hesitation. 

Ty Lee hummed, seemingly content. Then, without warning, she smacked her fist in her palm. "That's what I wanted to talk about! I saw a poster for _Love Amongst the Dragons_ \- that's Zuko's favourite play, by the way. Oh! That rhymes!- we can go see it in town!"

Fuck, Jet was going to sound stupid for asking this wasn't he. "What's a play?"

As if Jet had screamed Zuko’s name into the woods, Zuko appeared behind him. “What do you _mean_ you don’t know what a play is?” Zuko sounded appalled.

Fuck. Jet tried to appear nonchalant. “I _mean_ ” He placed the same amount of emphasis on the word as Zuko. “That I’ve lived in the woods for like the past seven years, news of whatever a ‘play’ is doesn’t exactly reach us. When I was a kid I didn’t exactly live in a cultural hub.”

Zuko seemed bewildered, brow furrowed and mouth gaped like a koi-bass fish. “What-“

“Close your month, you’ll catch moth-flies.” Jet quipped. Zuko’s mouth clamped shut.

“I am taking you to see a play. You’re going to enjoy it too.”

-

So that was how Jet found himself in a dark room full of people eating popped rice-corn with the only light coming from the stage in the front. Weird. The people went around pretending- _”Acting, they’re acting! Quite well actually!”_ \- to be dragon people. Jet honestly didn’t understand what they were doing. He suffered through it because apparently it made Zuko happy. And that made Jet happy.

 _Hey, this is my first date._ Jet realized. _Cool._

One of the characters walked on the stage, introduced as the Dark Water Spirit. Jet didn’t have to squint much- one of the perks of travelling with the Prince of the Fire Nation (who so far wasn’t a jerk)- to see his face. His mask was blue, white line above the eyes in an imitation of angry eyebrows, large smile poked with two large white teeth- holy fucking shit. That was the Blue Spirit. Or at least the blue spirit’s mask.

He jabbed Zuko in the side. “Is this guy’s mask the same as the Blue Spirit’s?” He pointed to the Dark Water Spirit, who was going on about something something dragon. Jet could not care less about the play.

The Blue Spirit was a legendary figure, Jet was, admittedly, a fan of his. He was huge in the vigilante justice world, going after the rich who hoarded money or treated workers badly and after the nobles who’s war efforts damaged the economy. Even if their misdeeds weren’t public, the Blue Spirit exposed them to the world. No one could track him, he travelled too far and fast, the news of him travelling almost doubly as fast. And according to every account of him, that was what his mask looked like. Come to think of it, it was kind of smart of him to do it. An elusive vigilante taking his secret identity from a common theatre mask.

Zuko tensed up. “Yeah it is.” He answered. Then paused. “Can I talk to you a little? After the play.” Zuko sounded secretive and nervous.

Jet was suspicious. “Sure.” He whispered, feigning nonchalance.

Jet didn’t remember the rest of the play, mind occupied with the Blue Spirit and Zuko. Zuko hadn’t personally done anything against him, he wasn’t old enough to be military and Jet had gotten a taste of all the propaganda from being around town. He had befriended an Earth Kingdom girl (Smellerbee and her were alike except the girl- Ai or Aki or something like that- wasn’t able to get the medication like Smellerbee had) and she and her siblings had been forced to attend a Fire Nation school before the war had ended. She had told him about how the Fire Nation had taught lies about the Air Nomads, Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom. Jet could barely comprehend the sheer unbelievability of the lies, ‘but’, she had told him, ‘If it was the only thing they had been given access to, they’d believe in the war too. They’re wrong, but it gives a reason for it.’ Jet couldn’t exactly disagree with that. Zuko seemed to not be like the nobles Jet robbed. He was... admittedly a bit strange and socially awkward but he wasn’t a bad person.

Jet’s hand hit the bottom of the popped rice-corn bag. The play seemed to almost be over. Zuko was staring at the play with admiration. Oh, it was a rich people thing.

Finally, the lights went back on. Jet stood up, stretching. “Well, that was a-“

Zuko’s eyes were as bright as the fires he lit. “An amazing play! I love it!” Zuko had started, there was no stopping him now. “I love the play’s effects, it was an interesting choice using an almost minimalistic set, but the way that they implied the use of all of the setting made it even better. Especially since this is a travelling theatre group, it makes it useful for them too! And the use of the background actors to create the stuff I just ah!” Zuko threw up his hands in delight. “And the acting of the people is great too! I think that only using a mask for the Dark Water Spirit and face paints for the rest of the characters makes it even more real when the Dragon Emperor turns human. Rather than just removing a mask, which separates the characters, character?, characters from each other-“ The few people that were near them were giving them strange looks. Jet honestly could not care less about Zuko’s ranting, he was more annoyed at the people around them for being jerks.

Mei, thank the stars, shut Zuko up. “Shut up, Zuko.”

Jet nodded. “We can talk about it later, you said you wanted to say something to me?” Jet hinted.

Zuko paused, seemingly going over his thoughts. “Oh yeah.” He turned to address Mei and Ty Lee. “We’re going to-“

Mei cut off his response with a dismissive wave. “Go make out at the back of the theatre, we’ll go back to the Freedom Fighters.”

Zuko went as red as the edges of his scar. “I am not going to-“

“Yeah we’re going to go make out.” Jet interrupted Zuko. “C’mon.” He dragged him along despite his adamant protest.

-

When they arrived outside, the sun had already dipped below the horizon, the only light coming from the flame Zuko lit in his palm. That play was really that long? “What’d you want to say to me?”

Zuko bit his lip in a way that made Jet want to kiss him until neither of them could breathe. Ha! Take that, strange lack of romantic attraction, he wouldn’t want to kiss a friend like that, would he? (He pointedly ignored how his “romantic” feelings and “friendly” feelings seemed to be separated by an invisible wall, they seemed to be mutually exclusive. Either one or the other.) “I’m the Blue Spirit.” Zuko spoke in a rush.

_Wait._

_What??_

Jet paused. “You’re kidding, right? You’re just making a joke and any moment now Mei and Ty Lee are going to laugh at me.”

Zuko grimaced. “They don’t know about it.”

Jet frowned. “But you can’t be the Blue Spirit, you’re the prince of the Fire Nation?”

Zuko sighed. “I’m pretty sure I’m the Blue Spirit, dual dao, going out in a theatre mask, plus the fact that I, ya know, was there. All signs point to me being the Blue Spirit.”

Jet made a gesture to Zuko. “But you’re just... you! I literally don’t understand how you could be the Blue Spirit?!”

“I know I’m the Blue Spirit. I don’t get why you don’t understand.”

“It’s just not very likely!”

Zuko paused and hm’d. “This sounds awfully like a conversation about being not-heterosexual.”

Jet opened his mouth to disagree. Paused. Clamped his mouth shut. He huffed. “Fine. If you really are the Blue Spirit, we can go rob a noble in a nearby town. You pick.” He challenged.

“Lieutenant Ine, he took hostages of women and children for months and they were only freed when the war ended.” Zuko said immediately. It was... slightly concerning that Zuko already had someone picked out, but Jet didn’t dwell on it. He weighed his options. Go back and, like, sleep, or go on a trip that either gives him the opportunity to beat up a horrible person or beat up the prince of the Fire Nation. Jet smirked.

“Let’s get his ass, babe.”

-

It only caught up to Jet that he was going on a mission with the _actual freaking Blue Spirit_ when they were about to break into their target’s house.

“Holy shit.” He mumbled under his breath. “I’m on a mission with the Blue Spirit.”

Zuko glanced up, face obscured completely with the Blue Spirit mask. He was dressed in all black, almost like Jet. Jet had tied a cloth around his face so in the unlikely case that someone _did_ see them, his face would be at least a little bit obscured. “What was that?” Zuko asked.

“Nothing.” He said, adjusting the mask before silently swinging down to the window they had deemed Ine was.

Ine was in his study, going over paperwork for something. Jet glanced through the window, a single second to see where Ine was. He looked at Zuko who was on the other. Zuko made a hand motion, two fingers gesturing to the window. Jet nodded, and promptly swung through the (thankfully unlatched) window, Zuko jumping in after him.

“Who are you-“ He didn’t have time to reply before Jet went after him. Ducking below the uncoordinated fire blasts from his hands, Jet managed to land in a lash with his hook swords or two before jumping away from the flame that Ine kicked at him. Ine yelled. Zuko had been swinging his dual dao at Ine, who was depending heavily on his bending to defend himself from the four swords. Jet felt a little bad for the guy. Not because of the war crimes, but fending off four swords was never fun.

Ine punched Zuko in the mouth part of his mask, sending him tumbling backwards. Jet took this as an opportunity to grapple Ine from behind, using his body weight to pull down the larger man with him and utilizing his swords to keep Ine’s arms down. Unfortunately this only worked for Jet’s end of the deal, Ine managed to land a few kicks on Zuko before Zuko wrestled down his legs.

With ropes that Jet hadn’t noticed before, Zuko tied up Ine with surprising agility. Jet decided that Ine had shouted enough and took out a strip of cloth from Ine’s own robes and gagged him. Imperialist scum.

Zuko stood up, going over to the conveniently placed study desk which had even more conveniently placed paper, and began writing. Jet glanced down. It was just a list of Ine’s war crimes, in both Fire common and Earth common. Smart.

In a form of poetic justice, Zuko tied his note around Ine’s ceremonial swords. The swords he had earned for his service in the Fire Nation military which had once invaded this very area. (Zuko later explained that Ine had moved to the Earth Kingdom while keeping dual citizenship, using the Earth Kingdom as an opportunity to avoid being tried for his crimes back in the Fire Nation.)

As quickly as they came in, they left, the window which had been kept open for the summer clattering behind them as they ran on the rooftops, finding the balcony they planned to rest on once their job was done. The exhaustion was kicking in, Jet’s heart which had been pounding in his ears was calming down. Zuko panted, taking off his mask. Finally Jet got a good chance to look at what the fight had done. The moon was just above them, full and bright. Jet stared.

 _Oh._ Jet thought as he stared at Zuko, the Blue Spirit’s silhouette illuminated by the moon as he wiped his bloody lip with equally bruised knuckles, heaving and still fuelled with adrenaline from the fight. _He’s hot._

-

Jet felt like he was burning. He was on fire, limbs screaming out.

In a good way, of course.

Of all the things that could have happened, he never thought making out with the Fire Prince was one of them. Who also happened to be the Blue Spirit. The whole sequence of events that fell into place to make this happen were so utterly unbelievable that Jet didn’t dwell on them. Because right now he was rooted in the moment, body pressed against Zuko’s.

With every push he gave he was met with an equal force, equal passion. It was scorching hot, one of Zuko’s arms was around Jet’s head, fingers gripped in his hair making tingles of almost-pain spark across his scalp, holding him closer, another was around his waist, pushing him away. Jet wanted more, _more_ , like the swell of the tides was roiling around in his chest he rose and fell. And then he was pushing Zuko into the wall. It was the farthest thing from gentle. It was intense, angry, and Jet felt like this could be something like love.

Zuko brought up a hand to Jet’s chest, fuckin’ air. Stupid fuckin’ air. He pulled away, gasping like he had fallen from a building. So high and far yet so inexplicably _alive_ , breath coming in sharp gasps.

“Fuck. _Fuck_.” Zuko gasped, breath coming out in heavy puffs of air that Jet could feel on his lips. “Do that again.” He demanded.

Jet gladly obliged.

-

“Where were you last night?”

“Making out.”

Mei wrinkled their nose. “Gross.”

Jet shrugged. “What were you doing?”

“Making out!” Ty Lee answered from behind Mei.

Mei flushed. “We-“

Jet snorted. “At least I got some vigilante justice in before making out.”

“Wait what-“

-

Jet laid on the tree branch. “How does it feel to be in love?” He asked Ty Lee. Ty Lee was laying a bit away from him, hanging upside-down by her legs. They had finished sparring. How was Jet supposed to know that Ty Lee knew ‘chi-blocking’, much less that it worked on a non bender like him? Needless to say, she won.

“It feels warm.”

“Oh?” 

“I... I don’t know. I guess it’s like when people talk about home, it gives you this warm feeling in your chest. You start to notice things about them, because you care about them and you want them to be more than friends. I’d do anything for her. I...” She paused. “I think I told you about my time in the circus.” She turned to Jet in questioning. Jet nodded in answer. “When I was a kid I grew up with _six. Identical. Sisters._ Sometimes I felt like I didn’t even have my own name, like the only thing separating myself from my sisters was a name that sometimes my parents couldn’t even remember the whole time. I joined the circus because I was scared- no, terrified. I was _terrified_ I’d spend my whole life as a part of a matched set. But...” She trailed off, a small smile on her face, pure adoration gracing her features. 

“Mei, she doesn’t make me feel like that, she’s only treated me as a _person_ , they never even mentioned my sisters. They’re just... amazing. And every day I love her for that. ‘Love’ feels like the word isn’t enough for the feeling in my chest, the little things that make Mei... _Mei_. It’s just the normal things. They appreciate my jokes. They don’t mind that sometimes I fidget more than what’s deemed ‘appropriate’, they don’t just not care that I forget things, they help me remember without even asking. That’s what I think love is.” Ty Lee finished.

Jet was quiet. “Is it...” he trailed off.

“Is it what?”

“Is it... wrong that I don’t feel that way for Zuko? I mean I guess I care for him, but it’s more like in the way I care for Smellerbee or The Duke or any of the Freedom Fighters. The only thing that really separates the- or at least what I think are- romantic feelings from the familial feelings are the fact that I want to and like making out with him.” Jet admitted. 

Ty Lee thought about that, it was clear on her face. “I don’t think it’s wrong, I think that you just... don’t feel that for Zuko, maybe you just feel that way for someone else or just not Zuko specifically, that’s okay.”

Jet sighed. “I don’t get it though. I should like him, there’s nothing stopping me and I _do_ like him. I’ve...” He trailed off, his voice going quiet. “I’ve never felt that kind of love before, and I don’t think I ever will.”

Ty Lee was quiet. “Maybe you just can’t. That’s okay too.”

“I probably shouldn’t be trying to give Zuko what I don’t have.”

“Yeah. Breaking up with Zuko would be best for the both of you.”

Jet sighed. “Yeah.”

-

“I’m breaking up with you.” Jet said like he was talking about a fact. Water is wet. Imperialism is bad. He didn’t love Zuko romantically.

Zuko blinked. “What?”

Jet shrugged. “It’s literally not you, it’s me.”

Zuko became angry at this. “Don’t moose-bullshit me like this, I don’t need your pity.”

Jet held up his hands in surrender. “I mean literally not you. I don’t think I’m capable of this ‘romance’ shit in any setting. I just don’t _feel_ it, ya know?” Jet gestured into the air, hoping Zuko would maybe be smart enough to grasp Jet’s meaning. Words were hard!

“Oh.” Zuko frowned. “Oh.”

Oh was right. _Then again, what is he supposed to say?_ Jet honestly couldn’t blame him. “I don’t regret making out with you. That was...” Hot. Exciting. Amazing. “Fun.” He settled on.

Zuko huffed, chest heaving. “I guess we can still be friends. Making out as a side hobby if I’m not in a relationship.”

Jet pondered. That was reasonable. “Yeah, cheating’s not cool.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

There was an awkward pause.

“Well this was a very enlightening conversation.” Jet said, stretching his arms. Zuko nodded, a tight grimace on his face.

“Yeah. I’ll, uh, see you ‘round.”

“Yeah.”

-

(“How was your time with the famous Freedom Fighters?”

“Eventful.”

“Oh?”

“I dated their leader and saw an actually good version of _Love Amongst the Dragons_.”

“That certainly _is_ eventful, I thought you’d never find a version of that _Love Amongst the Dragons_ that you liked.”

“Hey, I’m not that picky!”

“Whatever you say!”)

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact the Chinese word for gay roughly translates to comrade.
> 
> I'm not aromantic so I hope I portrayed the experience accurately. Also, I'm a sucker for Zuko and Jet committing vigilante justice together.
> 
> I planned for this to only be like 3k words AT MOST to be like a funny lil thing about how Jet knows Zuko and also bring in some aromantic Jet but uh *glances at word count quickly reaching 5k* i got a little carried away


End file.
